Star of India volunteer dies after fall from mast

San Diego Fire-Rescue Department personnel perform CPR as they take a Star of India crew member to an ambulance. He was critically injured when he fell more than 30 feet from the ship's rigging into San Diego Bay Sunday morning.

Howard Lipin

San Diego Fire-Rescue Department personnel perform CPR as they take a Star of India crew member to an ambulance. He was critically injured when he fell more than 30 feet from the ship's rigging into San Diego Bay Sunday morning.

San Diego Fire-Rescue Department personnel perform CPR as they take a Star of India crew member to an ambulance. He was critically injured when he fell more than 30 feet from the ship's rigging into San Diego Bay Sunday morning. (Howard Lipin)

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Greg Gushaw works on a stay of Star of India in this photo originally published in the June 2008 edition of the sail crew volunteers' newsletter, The Euterpe Times. Brad Holderman photo — Courtesy Maritime Museum of San Diego A Star of India crew member removes yellow tape from a rope ladder in the ship's rigging after a crewman was critically injured after falling more than 30 feet. — Howard Lipin / U-T

A Maritime Museum volunteer was killed Sunday after falling dozens of feet into the water from one of the masts of the Star of India.

Gregory Vance Gushaw, 68, struck his head on the iron-hulled ship on his way down about 10:15 a.m. and was unconscious when he was pulled into a small boat by fellow crew members who immediately started performing CPR on him, said San Diego Fire-Rescue Battalion Chief John Fisher.

Maritime Museum President and CEO Ray Ashley said Gushaw was a former Naval officer retired from SAIC, who had been a longtime volunteer, tour guide and member of the museum’s board of trustees.

Gushaw was aloft on the upper topsail yard on the starboard side of the forward mast of the ship on a training exercise with three or four other crew members when the incident occurred, Ashley said. The mast is 140 feet or about 14 stories tall. Ashley said. The Medical Examiner’s Office estimated that he fell 40 to 50 feet.

Gushaw was wearing a safety harness and all required equipment and had performed the exercise many times before, Ashley said. Investigators do not know what caused him to fall. The Medical Examiner has not yet determined the cause of death which was pronounced at 10:55 a.m.

Harbor Police Sgt. Jason Adams said one witness said that Gushaw, who had been standing on the yard, may have had a medical episode just seconds before the fall. He hit and broke through four wooden steps on a rope ladder as he descended, Adams said.

Adams said he does not know if Gushaw’s safety harness failed or if it was being utilized at the time.

Jeff Minkin who sells homemade jewelry from a table along the Embarcadero next to the ship said it looked like Gushaw was unfurling a sail. Then, Minkin said, he heard a really loud crack,

“It sounded like a two by four splitting or a rope snapping,” he said. He looked up to see a blur as Gushaw plummeted from the rigging and then heard him hit the ship before splashing into the water.

Ashley said there were between 60 and 80 volunteers either on and or around the ship when Gushaw fell. At least one of them jumped into the water after him while others quickly launched a small boat. “The response was immediate — literally within seconds,” Ashley said.

“It was amazing to see how quick they reacted, “ said San Diegan Mike Fath who was walking by and saw crew members rushing toward the ship. Cindy Berg, also from San Diego, said she was skating by when she heard people yelling “man overboard” and saw people hustling to the rescue.

Harbor police are handling the investigation and have notified Cal-OSHA, Adams said. The department has also provided a crisis response team to traumatized crew members who were seen gathered on the ship shortly after the accident with their heads bowed.

“We are all one big family, “ said Ashley. He described his friend as a good natured, accomplished and brilliant man.

The Star of India dates back to 1863 and is considered the crown jewel of San Diego’s maritime attractions. The historic landmark is the world’s oldest ship that still sails regularly.

Ashley said crew members have been training every Sunday in anticipation of a voyage scheduled for November. He said this is the first time the museum has ever had an incident like this and that the organization will conduct its own investigation.

The training has been suspended for the time being but the ship remains open to the public, Ashley said.